Thursday, September 9, 2010

Need Extra Math Help?

I used to love math, until I had to teach it!

Honestly, I would have to say that out of our 8+ years of homeschooling, math has been the one consistent thing that has caused the most tears, and not only for me!  Just ask my oldest.

We have only used two different curriculums for math over the years, one having it's own instructional DVD that helps teach each new lesson.  It's wonderful!  I don't have to rely on just my knowledge of what they are learning in order to teach them.

That's what I like the most about America's Math Teacher.  I was asked to review their site as a member of The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew and while it isn't a complete math curriculum, it is like having a math tutor right in your home any time you need it.

With America's Math Teacher your student can listen to and watch videos as Rick Fisher, a math instructor with a B.A. in mathematics, teaches a number of different math lessons on a white board.  There are four different course levels of lessons, Basic Math for fourth and fifth graders, Advanced Math for middle grade students, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra I with Algebra II coming soon.  The Basic level includes 85 different lessons, the Advanced level has 67 lessons, Pre-Algebra has 44 lessons, and Algebra I has a whopping 95 different video lessons.  So as you can see, there is plenty to help your students have the extra teaching and support they may need for many different math levels.

Along with the teaching videos, America's Math Teacher also has timed speed drills that students can do to practice answering simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems quickly. This was Handsome's (11) favorite part of the website. He enjoyed seeing how fast he could complete the problems and then trying to beat his previous time. I can see this part of the website being very helpful for a certain student of mine who doesn't quite know their multiplication tables as well as they should. There's just something about having that little timer ticking that makes all of us push ourselves to go faster and do better.
In addition to the teaching videos and the speed drills America's Math Teacher also has worksheets that coincide with each of the video lessons that can be printed out for the student to do on their own.  Also, online quizzes and exams help students and parents know when they're ready to move on to the next level as well as provide extra practice and review.

Overall, I am impressed with America's Math Teacher. For my son, who keeps getting confused with fractions, it has provided some extra practice and some different ways to look at fractions than just what his math book provides.  But while the extra review and practice has been nice, I don't believe I would willing to spend $195 for a year of America's Math Teacher, especially considering we're very pleased with our current math program and don't have any major issues that would justify the expense.  However, there may be those out there that could use the extra instruction and practice that would make using America's Math Teacher worth the price.

The only thing that disappointed me with AMT is that we found several of the video lessons were mixed up, meaning when we tried to view one video it actually wound up being a different video than what it was titled.  And others were duplicates of ones we had already watched.  However, when I emailed the company to bring this to their attention I received a response right away that thanked me and promised to look into the matter, which I am sure they did because we noticed later that some of the videos had already been changed.  This website was just recently launched and bugs and glitches are inevitable.  However, I do believe those at America's Math Teacher are determined and dedicated to fixing the glitches and continually improving the site as issues arise.

If you are interested in seeing if America's Math Teacher is right for your family you can try it for free here.  Interested in purchasing a subscription?  The cost is $195 for one year and can be purchased here.  (I'm not sure what the 30-trial coupon is).

Read what other Crew members think of America's Math Teacher!

 *As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew I received this product free of charge in exchange for my review and honest opinion of it.  As a believer and follower of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I promise you that all my reviews are honest and contain only my own true opinions...'cause He told me to not lie!

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